This is one of the coolest museums I have visited. Not only am I interested in environmentalism, but I also find this cultural icon quite charming. I think Smokey is one of the few real heroes out there, who have made their way into pop culture. I also think that everyone has had a Smokey the bear t-shirt at some point in their life, maybe a hat? Coming here, I learned about the origin of fire towers and controlled fires. There is reference to firefighters and firefighting, so this may also pass as a fire fighter museum. But the real reason I came here was to admire and look at the memorabilia of Smokey the bear. I really enjoyed seeing all the toys and items collected by the museum. I am really happy to have made it here. read more

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We went around 9am on 12/28. We were greeted promptly and enthusiastically. The self guided tour was informative and interesting. The only reason for the 3 star review was when we finished the tour, we went back for some questions. Personnel were nowhere to be found. Also the gift shop was closed, even though the hours said 10-430. That disappointed my son. read more

What an adorable little museum with some fun facts about fire safety and Smokey Bear! Worth a stop to come learn some New Mexico history!

The Smokey Bear Museum is located on Smokey Bear Boulevard in Capitan, NM. My grade school daughters and I visited on May 4, 2024, during their Smokey Bear Days celebration which also entailed his 80th birthday tribute. The museum reminisces a log cabin and it fairly small. There are gift shop items for sale. The memorabilia adorns the entire place. I personally loved an old poster that read "THINK." The letter "i" was a burnt out match. Below it was "Smokey" with a park ranger hat. The more simple the message, the better. We got in free due to the weekend festivities, but the usual admission rates we nominal. read more

Smokey Bear Museum - Love this old poster inside the museum. 5/4/2024 - Museums Near Me - Capitan, New Mexico

We spent about an hour at the museum ($2 entry/person- cash only). We watched a quick 10 minute movie on Smokey, filled out a trivia sheet (and got a Smokey pin as a prize). There were exhibits on Smokey, how fires start, and the different kinds of fires. The rangers were friendly and provided all the information we needed. We wandered out to the gardens and saw goldfish in the pond, Smokey's gravesite, the Smokey balloon gravesite, and the fallen firefighter's memorial. 2023 #28 read more

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This tiny museum is worth a visit if you're passing through Capitan. It's geared towards kids, but I still enjoyed getting to learn about the history of Smokey Bear and fire prevention campaigns. I loved seeing the vintage campaign signs. The park area with Smokey's grave was pretty dead (haha). They could add some more educational information or something out there. Admission is $2/person, and they only take cash or check. The gift shop takes card, so I don't understand why the museum doesn't. The gift shop was out of stock of most T-shirt sizes and posters :( read more

Smokey Bear Museum - Smokey's Grave - Museums Near Me - Capitan, New Mexico

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Cute, small museum in honor of a titan in advertising campaigns and one of most recognizable PSA characters in all of marketing history. Fascinating facts about the ad campaign, the first mascot abs his life at the National zoo for 26 years. $2 entrance fee, indoor and outdoor displays and a gift shop at the end. read more

Smokey Bear Museum - Some of the great Smokey the Bear objects you will see here! - Museums Near Me - Capitan, New Mexico

I had no idea Smokey was an actual bear. I thought he was just a cartoon. Great museum with tons of info and pics. Definitely worth going to. read more

Smokey Bear Museum - Baby Smokey - Museums Near Me - Capitan, New Mexico

This is a great museum, so worth the $2 entrance fee. We learned much about Smokey, New Mexico ecosystems, and forest fires. The ranger was friendly and fun to talk with. We spent almost 2 hours there! Enjoy! read more

Take a nice little drive north of Ruidosa to find this great little museum dedicated to Smokey the Bear. It includes the original museum (supported by your donation or souvenirs that you purchase) and the newer museum supported by the state. The original museum is built from burned logs from the fire that Smokey is known from. In between it, and the newer museum, is a small park with separate area for the different life zones in New Mexico. It has a nice walkway that anyone can do in less than 30 minutes. The newer museum has many exhibits on Smokey and on forest management. It also has a movie that tells the story. It does not take long to go through all of it, and I felt was well worth it. I will say that if you have sensitive kids, some of it might make them sad. Going here is time well spent. read more

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Love this museum! Love smokey the bear! This is definitely worth the drive to go see. Anyone who loves smokey the bear should definitely go!

We have been driving through Capitan for the last few years on our summer road trips and it's a charming little town that gives you a break from society with infrequent cell signals. Last year was the first time we checked out the museum and it was such a good deal at $2 per person, that we stopped by again this year to check out the gift shop. From parking, the museum is on your left and the gift shop is on your right. The gift shop is at the end of the tour but also has it's own entrance from the street. The museum is fun and well done. I strongly suggest this as a place to bring the kids and think it's a great field trip spot. The inside has videos on fire prevention, but a significant section on Smokey the Bear history including videos and memorabilia. I think it's very educational. The outside area is a path that will eventually lead you to the burial spot of the original Smokey Bear. The path is lovely and continues to provide education on the plant life, butterflies, etc. The tour can be as long or as short as you would like it to be and is worth the price. Last year we spent a little over an hour there, but could have spent more time and seen everything. The gift shop has a lot of similar items to what you can find at ranger stations, but it also expands that selection. Unfortunately, inventory is often low and they can be out of a lot of things. Sweaters and t shirts can be limited in sizes, but most kid sizes are available. There are a lot of key chains, bookmarks, slap bracelets, dolls, etc. I would say I've never seen a larger selection of hats. I'm most impressed with the Smokey memorabilia that's not for sale though, it's like a time capsule. If you are driving through New Mexico and need to stretch your legs, this is a great break from the monotony of constant driving! The town itself also has a couple of great restaurants and a motel. read more

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Who doesn't like Smokey Bear?!?!? A must stop in the area. It is cheap too. 2 bucks fir adults fir the museum and park. Everything and anything about Smokey is there from lunch boxes to the oldest doll. Brought me back to elementary school where we would have a special unit on fire safety. The film is great but no captioning which I plan to address in an email/ phone call to them. Excellent photo ops with statutes and pictures. The special exhibit on firefighters is an excellent tribute to them. The museum store has additional collectibles and great T-shirt's to buy. The grounds is a nice pleasant easy walk with varied trees and plants clearly marked. The new area with the firefighters memorial is both humbling and beautiful. Nice little waterfall is nice. The burial area of Smokey is both fitting and cute with the wooden carved statue. Don't pass this up please stop and have some nostalgia and support this museum. Fun is showed every 1/4 hour. Watch it to get the history and your Bearings on the area. As Smokey says please help to prevent forest fires-and respect the forrest and regulations. read more

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Located right next to the park entrance, this cute little shop in a log cabin is staffed with super friendly & informative people, and lots & lots & lots of Smokey stuff! Some of the Smokey items are for display only, things which have been donated to the museum over many years. I dare say, many will recognize the items - it's a walk down memory lane to be sure. But there is plenty to purchase, too, so you can take home your own Smokey treasure. Definitely worth a visit. read more

One word: WOW! We are so impressed! Coming to Smokey Bear Museum and gift shop has been a family tradition now for four generations. So we are familiar... However, what was different about this time was the staff. The two ladies in the gift shop were absolutely fabulous! They knew how to talk to kids and it was obvious that they enjoyed children. They were so patient and so kind. They were also a wealth of information themselves and presented it in a funny way. We bought some thing just because they were so nice. Our kids had a fabulous time! They learned all about the importance of fire safety and the repercussions of not using fire responsibly. They also felt a real bond with Smokey Bear by the time we left. Sadly we were able to take our kids around the Bonita Lake area and see the devastation cause there by the fires and subsequent flooding. It is heartbreaking! But getting to actually see it I think it really hit home for our three-year-old and five-year-old. The gentleman in the museum was wonderful. The kids were getting tired and cranky and so we're we. Again he was very patient and kind with the children. And it was plain that he cared about kids. The museum itself is full of wonderful memorabilia that you would never expect. It brought back a lot of memories from our childhood. I hope that your family comes here and makes great memories too! read more

Smokey is one of the great American icons in our household, so we were excited to visit his hometown. It's a small museum - an hour gives you adequate time to check it out. A 15-minute video tells you a little about Smokey and a little more about forest management (which is probably as Smokey would wish). There's a collection of Smokey knickknacks and posters, and a video of vintage Smokey references. You also have a few concessions for kids (coloring sheets, puzzles), and a lovely display showcased letters to Smokey written by kids. Outside you have a little path that showcases the flora of the Chihuahuan desert, and amongst it is the grave of Smokey himself. It was touching for me. The only downside was the discovery that the museum and gift shop are run by separate entities, and for whatever reason the gift shop was closed despite what it's hours suggested. Oh well, there went the souvenir I had planned. I'm really glad I made this trip through the beautiful landscape of Capitan. And in an amazing coincidence, a new Smokey (CGI) ad came on TV while I was typing this review. Let's hope Smokey and his message will continue to resonate for future generations. read more

This was a cool stop. It wasn't too long of an experience. Yet quite entertaining. The cost is well inline with the experience. The memorial to fallen firefighters was very nice also. read more

Great, fun, brings back memories of growing up camping and hiking. Worth a visit only $2. Staff friendly. Nice outdoor area, smokys buried here. Lots of native plants and identification for each. Worthwhile and educational for the kids as well. read more

Smokey Bear Museum - Museums Near Me - Capitan, New Mexico

This is a really cute town and this location is beautifully located next to a small park area. The park part of the museum is beautiful and we'll maintained. It is also where Smokey is buried. The actual indoor museum is a little outdated. The exhibit is great just old, I wish this place had more funding because it really deserves more funding to update information as well as possibly create more interactive exhibits for kids. read more

Great place to take the family! We had a blast and actually learned a lot. I'm so glad we took the kids.my husband really enjoyed it as well. read more

Friendly gift shop and museum. Pretty park grounds. My Visit was last summer; on the way back from Ruidosa; it was a great escape from theTexas heat. read more

Cute! Cute! Cute! I loved Smokey Bear as a kid & LOVED introducing my daughter to Smokey and his slogan. She adores him and tells everyone about him & the importance of being careful with forest fires. read more

Great collection of smokey memorabilia and forestry memorabilia . Great info on native plants and fire prevention. The original smokey is buried on the property as well. read more

Absolutely LOVED this place!!!!! The museum was very informative as well as the video you can watch in the theatre. The gravesite is very beautiful and we really enjoyed our visit. We were visiting from New Braunfels, Tx. read more